Taraji P. Henson Set To Produce + Star In Emmett Till Biopic Directed By John Singleton

It's way past time for this incredibly important story to be told the right way.

It’s safe to say that most people already know the story of the tragic death of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955 at the hands of white supremacists. Since his death, there have been numerous plays, poems and documentaries on his life and brutal murder, however no proper biopic has been made…until now.

Today it was announced that Taraji P. Henson and director John Singleton are joining forces to tell the story of Emmett Till, with Henson set to star and produce and Singleton to direct. Shadow and Act has further details about the new project, including what role Henson is playing, the film’s current title and more.

Via Shadow and Act:

In an interview with GlobalGrind during a press event for her upcoming film, ‘Proud Mary,’ Taraji P. Henson has revealed she is producing and starring in an upcoming film on the life of Emmett Till. The film, now titled ‘The Emmett Till Story,’will be directed by John Singelton and Henson she will portray Till’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley.

[Of the project Henson] said, “We don’t have a start date yet, but the deal definitely has been done. That’s one (project) I’ve been passionate about since Trayvon Martin was murdered.”

[The] first public announcement about the project [was] back in February 2017 in a Vanity Fair piece about other Till projects in the works. Back then, Vanity Fair reported that Singleton was directing and Henson starring — with Michael De Luca and Laray Mayfield producing, and Michael Roden and Jerry Mitchell writing the script.

Among other Emmett Till projects that have been in talks in recent years include those from Will Smith and Jay-Z, as well as film critic Roger Ebert’s widow Chaz Ebert. As the case with many Hollywood projects, they are initially discussed, but either fail to materialize or take several years to bring to life. It appears that the knockout team of Taraji P. Henson and John Singleton have beaten them to the punch.

In the meantime, be sure to head to the theater on January 12th to support Taraji P. Henson in the action-thriller Proud Mary!